A PENSIONER says his garden waste bin wasn’t emptied this week because the grass inside it was “too sticky”.

Alexander Neilson, of Henry Boteler Road, Canley, put his brown-lidded bin out to be emptied on Wednesday.

He went for a walk and when he returned three quarters of his garden waste remained.

When he asked the council’s waste department why they said the grass wouldn’t come out because it was stuck to the sides of the bin.

And instead of loosening it with a stick, they told Mr Neilson – a 71-year-old who struggles to walk following a hip operation – to do it himself.

He said: “It’s that time of year for cutting grass. My friend cut the lawn for me once and my son came round and did it again recently.

“It meant the bin was full – not overflowing or anything like that.

“The waste disposal guys said they give it two tries and if it doesn’t come out they just leave it.

“I asked if they could loosen it and they said they didn’t do that.”

The offending bin is still full of grass which has quickly composted in the warm weather.

And the chances of it being emptied again look slim as Mr Neilson says the experience has put him off recycling.

“I pay my taxes. It’s hard enough work for me to move a full bin from my garden to the front pavement,” Mr Neilson added I can hardly walk as it is. I’ve had a hip replacement and I walk with a crutch.”

A spokesman for the city council said: “We are sorry that Mr Neilson is unhappy with the service he has received. Bins are put on the hoist on the back of the refuse lorry, lifted up and shaken vigorously to empty them.

“We listened to Mr Neilson’s complaint and asked him to loosen the waste to allow it to be collected. Unfortunately he didn’t tell us he was disabled and would be unable to do this.

“Had he done so we may have been able to make alternative arrangements to help him.

"He has now told us he no longer wants his bin and we will arrange to pick it up in the next few days.”